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Madera - The first annual
Madera Sports Hall of Fame dinner was held Saturday night at Hatfield
Hall at the Madera Fair Grounds. The sold out event paid tribute to nine
former Madera High School athletes, one coach and one team.
The first induction class into the
hall of fame was Mark Barsotti, Bryan Clark, Dwayne Crump, Kathy Hayes,
Steve Johansen, Brent Martin, Barbara McAlister, Kent Nance, Robert
Yales, Leroy Zimmerman and the 1962 MHS Boys Basketball team.
The event was hosted by a group of
"B" list celebrity football players like Bubba Paris, Russ Francis, Jeff
Barnes and Dana McLemore. Paris, who is now a motivational speaker,
served as the master of ceremonies and even helped get the bidding on
the live auction items up.
Emotions ran high for many of the
inductees, but none so much as with former Madera High and Fresno State
quarterback Mark Barsotti. Barsotti, who's mother recently passed away,
was introduced by his former college coach Jim Sweeney. Barsotti
remembered the support he had received from his parents through out his
career and knew his mother would have loved this award.
The Madera Sports Hall of Fame
will have a permeate home in the new Centennial Youth Center to be built
at Madera's Swim Pool Park. The building, which will be named after
former teacher and Madera City Councilman John Wells, will take up most
of the park and stand three stories. |
